After taking home its 22nd National Championship title last season, the Denver Pioneer ski team is posed for another successful year.
In the SYNC Coaches Poll, which is voted upon by 12 coaches across the nation, Denver topped the list at No. 1 with 112 points, which was 18 points higher than the No. 2 team, the University of Utah. Denver received nine of the 12 first place votes.
Beginning their 2014-2015 season in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RIMSA) alpine qualifiers on Jan. 6 in Park City, Utah Denver did not post the scores that they were looking for. Freshman Monica Hubner (Germany) was the top scorer for the ladies in the alpine competition, finishing in sixth.
On Jan. 8 in Park City, giant slalom qualifying runs were ended with solid finishes from Denver junior Taylor Shiffrin. As the top Pioneer finisher for the day, Shiffrin ended in 15th place.
The University of Utah Invitational, the first major competition of the season, took place from Jan. 9 to 12 in Park City. In giant slalom on Jan. 9, three Pioneers placed in the top 15 for this event.
Kristine Haugen (Norway), who is currently the defending two-time NCAA giant slalom champion, ended with an impressive third place finish. Hubner followed Haugen with a fifth place finish for the Pioneers in the giant slalom event.
Senior Devin Delaney (New Hampshire) rounded off the three top 15 finishes, placing 14 for the Pioneers.
Continuing on Jan.10, Denver sophomore Sebastian Brigovic (Croatia) brought home the first place title in the giant slalom for the Pioneers.
This win helped seal the overall first place victory for the Denver alpine team at the Utah Invitational. Shiffin also ended up on the podium, placing third.
For the nordic portion of the Invitational, held in Midway, Utah, Denver sophomore Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) earned back-to-back first place victories in the women’s Nordic classic 5K event and in the Nordic freestyle 5K.
In the freestyle 5K, Nordskar sealed her victory with a huge 17.7 lead over the second place finisher.
Denver sophomore Moritz Madlener (Germany) skied his way to third place podium position for the Pioneers in the men’s Nordic classic 10K. Madlener also finished third in the freestyle 10K this weekend.
The Pioneers ended the Utah Invitational with a third place finish, with 612 team points.
Denver will travel to Steamboat, CO for the CU Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational on Jan. 23.
Nordic events will take place in Steamboat on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 and alpine events will be held in Eldora, Colorado on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26.
